Flashing solicitor adds to man's jail sentence

Flashing solicitor adds to man's jail sentence

EXPOSING himself to a woman who was trying to help him has contributed to a jail sentence for Bruce Francis Sheedy.

The 33-year-old was in custody at the Toowoomba Watchhouse when he became increasingly aggressive during an interview with a duty solicitor on the morning of March 14.

Toowoomba Magistrates Court yesterday heard the woman had decided she wouldn't be acting on Sheedy's behalf and was about to leave the interview room.

Police prosecutor Senior Constable Al Windsor said Sheedy then dropped his pants and faced the woman, shaking his penis and suggesting a lewd act.

Sheedy's reasons for being in custody arose from incidents the day before, where he took his brother-in-law's ute from a Murphys Ck home.

Snr Const. Windsor said Sheedy, who was disqualified from driving at the time, then drove the ute to the Murphys Ck General Store, where he put $7.78 in fuel in the vehicle before driving away without paying.

The ute was seen a short time later fishtailing onto Ossian Ln before leaving the road and colliding with a power pole.

Police found that vehicle at a Murphy's Ck home later that day before being called to a disturbance at the Toowoomba Hospital emergency department.

They arrived to find Sheedy at the hospital. He was arrested. A search found he was carrying about 3.5 grams of marijuana.

Snr Const Windsor said Sheedy struck two police officers in the face during two separate struggles after the indecent exposure incident.

One was at the Toowoomba Watchhouse and the other was during a return visit to Toowoomba Hospital.

Defence solicitor Brad Skuse said his client had previously been diagnosed with schizophrenia and planned to continue mental health treatment on his release from prison.

Magistrate Kay Ryan noted Sheedy had been in custody since March 13.

Ms Ryan accepted Sheedy had very little recollection of his actions on those days.

Sheedy was sentenced to nine months in prison, to be released on immediate parole because he had already served 100 days in custody.